More than 1 in 3 young people in the UK have been a victim of cyberbulllying, with 1 in 13 suffering from persistent abuse online.

That abuse is cruel, invasive and intimidating. And the results, as we saw with the tragic case of Amanda Todd, can be devastating.

The rapid development of technology and increasing number of platforms now at young people’s disposal means many of the barriers that arguably acted as deterrents to traditional bullying have been removed.

Cyberbullies often feel empowered by the belief they are anonymous, are spurred on by the knowledge that they can act instantly, and feel sheltered by the false view they are safe from the repercussions of their actions.

But at BeatBullying we are only too aware of the terrible impact cyberbullying can have on young people’s lives.

We have seen how for many young people it can result in anxiety, depression, self-harm and in severe cases, suicide. In the UK 44% of teenage suicides are due to bullying.

Young people rightly want to know what 'we' are going to do about it.

It is time for us to be clear about where responsibility lies.

People need to know what is being done by the legal system, society and service providers to address the issue, and that Government is taking it seriously.

The Crown Prosecution Service have recently taken a positive lead on this front. They are currently undertaking a review of social media laws in which they are reviewing guidance for officers on the policing of social media.

Whilst we must ensure this does not run the risk of resulting in over-criminalising negative online activity, especially amongst young people, we must ensure that both our police and the public know the power the law has to protect and intervene where necessary.

If the case is made that the existing laws are not fit for the digital world in which we now live , then it will be for Government to review the legislation.

Where online abuse isn't a criminal offence we need to know from service providers what action will be taken to protect their users.

Perhaps most important, though, is that young people who are suffering at the hands of cyber bullies, know where they can go to access support and who is responsible for protecting them.

That’s why in 2009 BeatBullying launched cybermentors.org.uk to enable young people to support and mentor one another in dealing with cyberbullying.

Since then we’ve trained thousands of young people to help one another.

Due to the current economic climate cybementors continues to fight for its survival, yet as the issue spreads it is more in demand than ever.

Our research at BeatBullying has taught us that young people have the power and the desire to change the culture of the online world in which they now live, but it is now up to us as society to lead the way by setting the tone.